The disclosed embodiments of the present invention relate to a camera system, and more particularly, to an image-based motion sensor and related multi-purpose camera system which supports normal camera functionality and additional motion sensor functionality.
The mobile phones are generally equipped with some sensors for different applications. For example, a general smart phone may have a G-sensor (accelerometer) and a Gyro sensor. The G-sensor is capable of providing speed, displacement and acceleration information in the moving direction(s). Regarding the Gyro sensor, it is capable of measuring the orientation directly, and may be implemented using mechanical means or MEM (MicroElectroMechanical) means. However, regarding certain low-cost application devices such as feature phones, using the G-sensor and the Gyro sensor is not practical due to their high cost.
Thus, there is a need for an innovative design which can support motion sensor related operations (e.g., acceleration, speed, displacement, roll, pitch, and yaw) without actually using the physical motion sensors (e.g., G-sensor and Gyro sensor).